The Effect of Fatigue on Air Traffic Controllers

Abstract

Fatigue has been on the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) “most wanted list” since 1990 and remains a topic of active investigation. The focus of this article is summarizing the effect of fatigue on air traffic controllers. A literature search was conducted using multiple terms directly and indirectly associated with fatigue as part of an effort to identify the gaps in research on fatigue and performance in air traffic control. Additionally, direct outreach was conducted to identify current research that would not yet be reflected in the literature. This article describes the approach used, discusses the identified research, and synthesizes the body of knowledge on air traffic controller fatigue. This can be used to guide future research as well as develop fatigue risk management systems for air traffic controllers.